"Years away from being able to launch and recover aircraft from it as part of a carrier battle group" - Translation: All we can do is motor around our territorial waters and look like we know wtf we are doing!

"Years away from being able to launch and recover aircraft from it as part of a carrier battle group" - Translation: All we can do is motor around our territorial waters and look like we know wtf we are doing!

"Years away from being able to launch and recover aircraft from it as part of a carrier battle group" - Translation: All we can do is motor around our territorial waters and look like we know wtf we are doing!

Two Chinese ships have blocked a Philippine naval ship from arresting Chinese fisherman for fishing in waters that the Philippines considers to be within its "exclusive economic zone." China has ordered the Philippine naval ship to leave, insisting that it has sovereignty of the area, while the Philippines refutes this.

Although the Chinese fishing boats have been permitted to leave the lagoon where they had been held by a Philippine warship, the confrontation with Chinese military vessels has raised nationalistic anger on both sides. (See "12-Apr-12 World View -- Philippines and China in nationalistic confrontation in South China Sea.") The fishing vessels were detained near the Scarborough Shoal (called Huangyan Island by the Chinese), off the coast of Manila. The island has historically been part of the Philippines, but China is demanding sovereignty over it and all the islands in a huge region in the South China Sea. On Friday, China's Foreign Ministry said: ...

The island has historically been part of the Philippines, but China is demanding sovereignty over it and all the islands in a huge region in the South China Sea. On Friday, China's Foreign Ministry said:...

Well, if we had a POTUS worth a damn we'd be coordinating with not just the Phillipines but every other Asiatic nation wanting to stop aggression in the region from spilling into their territory and push the ChiCom's back. But since all we have is an ass-kissing socialist punk loser...we can forget that idea. The Phillipines are screwed.

charlesoakwood

On the 12th day of a standoff at Panatag Shoal, Maj. Emmanuel Garcia said China had no reason to feel concerned about the annual Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) exercises that started a week ago....The Balikatan has long been planned, and its purpose is interoperability between US and Philippine troops and exchange of ideas,” Garcia said on dzBB.

If the Chinese were concerned they would have been on the horn to Bambi and he would have cancelled the joint maneuvers. But don't you guys get your hopes up about those F-16's you want to buy. Even though the USS Blue Ridge of the U.S. 7th Fleet paid a courtesy call to the Manilla South Harbor Bambi's not going to sell them to you. His minders won't allow it.

Most of our "exercises" with the Philippines (since our basing rights leases lapsed by Philippine choice) are of a small scale variety. The long years of US presence in the region (Subic naval base & Clark airfield especially) made it easy for America's detractors (usually of a leftist bent, surprise, surprise!) to agitate for a removal of foreign interlopers. A sad turn for a once stalwart American ally. We remain on friendly terms, but I always had serious doubts of the Philippines being able to "go it alone" alone.

charlesoakwood

Telegraph UK - Reporting that Chinese media reported the Scarborough Island as its territory. It was then reported as an error, leading to commentary such as "This anchor woman is great, a good patriot, she has announced to the world the Philippines belongs to China," .

However, 'Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying said late Monday Beijing was ready for "any escalation" of the maritime standoff with the Philippines'.

charlesoakwood

AFP - Japan summoned the Chinese ambassador Wednesday as a diplomatic row flared up after three Chinese patrol boats approached a chain of islands at the centre of a bitter territorial dispute....The Japanese coastguard said three Chinese patrol boats had once again approached a chain of islands at the centre of a bitter territorial dispute Wednesday in a move that could inflame tensions.

Picking on the Phillipines and other small nations like that is one thing, trying to bully Japan is not going to go over well, and any regional instability built there will only add to that created in the smaller nations and China could soon find itself surrounded by angry neighbors.

Well, like I said, only if a sane person was in charge of our foreign policy, as it is the Chi-Com's feel justifiably free to pick on all these nations.